Message: Murder in the House of Varrus !!! (Chapter XI)
Author: L. Didius Silva
Originally Posted: October 18, 2000 (Reposted with the permission of the author)


"Let me tell you about Aurelia Varrus. Aurelia's story is pretty common. During the drought ten years ago, her father was forced to sell her into slavery in order to keep the rest of the family from going under. She was 15 at the time I bought her. I'm sure that Tigellinus charged me 100 times what he paid out. I had her bathed, fed, clothed, educated, and gave her the professional name 'Viola' (Violet). She was a good girl, who did her job, but her heart really wasn't in it. If she took someone upstairs, it was more out of loneliness than hustling to turn a sestercius. Marcus, General Varrus, started coming here about two years ago. They hit it off right away. He paid for her company, and if he preferred to use his time talking, that was his business. Then about a year ago, Marcus and Aurelia came to me and asked that I manumit her so they could marry. We sat down and worked out the financial arrangement. They were married in that little temple in his garden. The other girls and I, and some of Marcus's friends, attended. The girls and I chipped in for a wedding present."

"A ceramic wine pitcher with matching goblets," I said.

"How did you know that?" she asked. I just smiled. "We wanted to give her something more expensive, but she said it would hurt Marcus's pride. So she wouldn't allow it."

"There was quite an age difference," said Piso.

"It didn't seem to bother them. I think they were genuinely happy."

"Did the General have any enemies?"

"Not that I know of, but I really only saw him when he was here. I never heard rumors of any."

"What can you tell me of Subrius Flavus and Plautius Lateranus?" She told us what we already knew about them.

"Do they come here often?"

"Yes, they're regulars. As a matter of fact they're here tonight."

"Tonight! At this party?"

"No, they're dining privately."

"What about their relationship with Aelia and Varrus?"

"They BOTH were in love with Aurelia. I think Flavus still is, though he won't admit it. He talks about her all the time to the other girls. Lateranus seemed more hurt by her choice of Varrus over him, but once she was married he seemed to shrug it off. They both are, were, Marcus's friends. They all started coming here around the same time."

"They told us they were here all night last night and didn't leave until dawn."

Aelia got up and pulled on a red velvet rope that was hanging in the corner. I didn't hear a thing, but a servant, somewhere between the age of 60 and 600, walked in to the room. He bowed and stood politely awaiting her command. "Go and get Vibrata and Gilenna. I want them here now." The servant bowed and left.

"Do you know Aurelia's brother?"

"LUCIUS! That little twerp. He's a gambler, a drunkard, and a petty crook. He's never done an honest thing in his life. He used to live off Aurelia's savings. Always some sob story or another. Always laying a big guilt trip on her. About two years ago he stopped coming around. Rumor had it that he'd skipped town, one jump ahead of the Vigiles. I thought we were well rid of him. Then last week he shows up here, demanding to see Aurelia. I told him that she'd married General Varrus and to leave them alone. When he started getting nasty, I had Gorgo throw him out on his As...ear."

"Can you describe him for us?"

"Oh, I'd say about 5'6" or 5'7" tall, around 140#, maybe 20 years old, brown hair, brown eyes. He was trying to grow a beard. It was real patchy."

My eyes met Piso's. "Can you remember what he was wearing?"

"Yes! It was a filthy, grey colored tunic. I remember thinking it hadn't been washed since the day it was made. It had the sour smell of old sweat."

Two members of the "Junior Goddesses League" walked in. Aelia questioned them immediately.

"You ladies were with Flavus and Lateranus last night. Tell me about it."

Vibrata spoke first: "I was with Flavus. He paid for the full night. We went upstairs, but he passed out on the bed before we got started. I got bored so I went down to the common room to talk to the other girls. A couple of hours later I went to bed and woke him up just before dawn."

Gilenna then said: "I was with Lateranus. He paid for an all-nighter too. We went upstairs. I don't remember much after that. I guess I fell asleep."

Both girls said that they noticed nothing out of the ordinary. We thanked them and sent them back to the party.

"Is there anything else I can answer for you?" Aelia asked.

"Yes!" I answered, "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you helping us? Why are you showing us this side of your operations; this side of your personality."

She looked at us both for a moment, her chin resting on the palm of her left hand. Finally, she came to a decision. She lifted her head, brushed back the same stray lock of hair (just beating me to it), and said: "I've never forgotten a friend or forgiven an enemy. You two were the only men who ever helped me without expecting "a little something" in return. You two were the only ones interested enough in my husband's death to make inquiries, even when it finally meant laying your careers and even your lives on the line. It wasn't your fault that you couldn't bring that murdering bastard to trial. Anyway, he met a more fitting justice later on."

"We were both very young and very foolish back in those days, Aelia."

"Nevertheless! I now have the means to repay you. This place is a goldmine of information. It's a meeting place for every level of society. I can be a big help to you, if you'll only let me."

"As a matter of fact, you can help me right now," I said. "Is there a way that I can observe Flavus and Lateranus without them seeing me?"

She smiled, took my hand, and said: "Come with me!"

Copyright © 2000-2001, L. Didius Silva. All Rights Reserved. All copyrighted material is the property of the original author.